Where Dreams Come True
by Pureauthor
Summary: (AU) Did you know, Erk? If two people who love each other go to Etruria University, they'll find happiness together...
1. Prologue: Memory Child

Where Dreams Come True

* * *

Okay, my next story. 

Just a sidenote here, people. The 'main' plot, or the one that is central to the storyline, may seem familiar to some of you (as evidenced by the summary). However, it's only going to be loosely based, and in any case, there are multiple side-arcs.

So… shall we begin?

* * *

Prologue: Memory Child _

* * *

_

"Hey, Erk."

_He looked up from the sandcastle he was making. "Yes?"_

_She was staring down at him in his crouching position, head tilted so her hair covered her face, hands clasped at the small of her back, her every gesture suggesting she was terribly embarrassed._

_"Did you know?" She began. "That if two people who love each other go to Etruria, they'll find happiness together?"_

_"Etruria?"_

_"Y'know, that!" She pointed towards a tall building, peeking over the trees. "That's Etruria University."_

_"Oh…" He sat in silence for a while in the sandpit, unsure of what to say. Finally, he broke the silence by uttering the first thing that came to mind. "I like you."_

_The blush on her cheeks turned even redder. "Really?"_

_He nodded. "Yeah."_

_"I used to think all boys were dirty and mean."_

_"**I** used to think all girls we icky-gross." He replied. "But you're different. I like you."_

_She smiled. "Then lets make a promise, okay?"_

_"Huh?"_

_"One day, both of us will go to Etruria. We'll find each other, and happiness, there. Okay?"_

_He grinned. "Okay."_

_They linked pinky fingers. It was sacred. Any kid knew that pinky-finger vows could not be broken no matter what. And they promised._

_One day, the two of them would go to Etruria and find happiness together._

_Then her parents called her. As she stood up and began to leave, she turned back to look at him one last time. "Don't forget!" She called._

"Never." He replied. He would always remember, up until he- 

**SPLASH!**

Erk's eyes popped open and he jerked up, water dripping down his face. Rubbing it frantically, he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose to face a markedly different female than the one from his dream. This one was grown up, for one thing.

"Um…"

"You fell asleep at your desk while studying. _Again_. Honestly, Erk, you can't keep _doing_ this." She sighed

"I- uh, I'm sorry, Aunt Louise." Erk stammered.

"What is it this time?" Leaning over, she picked up the textbook Erk had been meticulously poring over before he dropped off. "Anima Theory." She muttered.

Erk rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I thought… I thought I needed more revision-"

"Erk, you already score the best marks in the entire level." Louise folded her arms across her chest as she stared down at her son.

"I don't want people to think that I'm doing so well because Uncle Pent's the teacher…" He mumbled, not trusting himself to look her in the eye.

"Pent is the strictest teacher in the whole school, Erk. The only reason you didn't score a hundred percent in the last test was because you left out a comma in one of the sentences." Glancing at the wall clock, Louise sighed once more and shook her head. "Your first class starts in half-an-hour. Hurry up, son."

* * *

Eliwood leaned back in his chair and fought back an urge to yawn as he listened to his teacher droning on and on about the Great War, otherwise known as the Scouring. He _liked_ History, but this was ridiculous. 

"He's teaching us stuff a Grade One student should already know." He grumbled in disgust. "I thought Etruria University standard's were supposed to be the highest around?"

Lyn, beside him, rolled her eyes. "Come on, Eliwood. If _he_ can pay attention, so can you." She said as she jerked her thumb in the direction of a mop of purple hair near the front of the class who was studiously taking notes as the lesson progressed

"_He_ doesn't count." Eliwood insisted. "He'd be interested in learning that red and blue make purple."

Lyn chuckled. "You say that as if it's a bad thing."

"When it's done at the exclusion of having a life, it is." Shaking his head, Eliwood turned back to the lecture.

"This battle was a decisive point in the war, for it marked the spot where-"

Damn, this was boring.

* * *

Lunch hour had come, and with it the majority of students to grab whatever meals they wanted. Meanwhile, the library doors swung open, and Erk staggered in, clutching a stack of thick books. Just another day in Etruria University for him. 

He had done it, of course. He'd made it Etruria after all the long years of studying practically nonstop. He'd fulfilled his part of the vow.

Too bad he had no freakin' idea who on earth the girl he'd made the promise to was. She'd told him her name, of course, but he'd forgotten it, along with her face, her hair colour, and generally everything that would have been even marginally useful for locating the identity of someone.

He dumped the books beside the computer terminal, and leaned back in the chair, eyes closed as he recalled her smile and her voice. About the only things he still recalled of her.

_Who am I kidding?_ He thought. _I have no idea who she is, and even if she DID find me again, I seriously doubt she'd want me looking like this._ Sighing, he opened his eyes and sat up, his fingers finding the power button without having to look, a trait borne of years of repetition.

As the computer booted up, Erk pushed his glasses up his nose again. Forever slipping down, round and thick enough to be the stuff that bulletproof glass was made of, the pair of spectacles perched on his nose was nevertheless a pair he wasn't trading in for anything.

It was the only thing he had of his true parents.

They had abandoned him when he was still too young to walk or speak, sending him to the first person who had agreed to take him in. Lucky for him, he mused, that Uncle Pent and Aunt Louise were kind and loving people after all.

Every year, he had written to them, detailing events that had unfolded in the past 365 days, telling them about his school results. He had ended every letter with 'I love you.'

They had never replied. But a few years back, after writing to them about his recently failing eyesight, they had sent to him a pair of glasses strong enough to help him read properly. The only problem was that it didn't fit very well. Hence the constant sliding.

Lifting his eyes, he noted that the computer had finished loading all necessary programs and whatnot. Opening a Word Document, he sat forward and began to type.

Thesis: Anima Theory and it's relation to the natural world.

**Anima Theory is a theory relating to the composition of all matter. While many contemporary scientists dismiss Anima Theory as unproven and 'nonsense', there is far too large an amount of proof and evidence to simply dismiss it offhand.**

**The basics of Anima Theory is that around all living matter, there exists an energy field. When aware of it, the energy field can be manipulated to create extreme heat, intense cold, or even create an electrostatic charge in the surrounding air. Several people also theorize that they can manipulate the air around them to create strong blasts of energy, but this**

"Heya, Erk! Whatcha doing?" A cheery voice interrupted him from his typing. Half-turning, he smiled as he saw a familiar face, and the one person in the entire campus he could truly consider a friend.

"Oh, just a paper on Anima Theory. You really should be getting started on yours too, Nino."

"Uh-huh. Erk, the paper isn't due for a month." She glanced at him with a smile that suggested she was all too used to this sort of thing from him.

"This is just a draft."

"You write your drafts on computers?"

Grinning sheepishly, he pushed up his glasses. "Just a habit, I guess."

Nino shook her head and hoisted herself onto the table. "Seriously, Erk. You've got to take it easy sometimes."

Erk slumped over. "Not you too…" He moaned.

"What, your mom giving you grief over it too?" Nino grinned and laughed. "Just goes to show my point, doesn't it, Erky?"

"Don't _you_ start too!"

"Is having Serra for a lab partner really all that bad?"

"You have no idea." Raising his head again, he turned to Nino. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Can't think of anywhere." Nino laughed.

Erk shook his head and went back to typing.

* * *

He ducked through the shadows, sneakily, silent as an owl. Just a few more feet, and he would be there. He would reach his goal.

Slipping past a corner, he peered out, cautiously. The target was in sight. In three, two, one-

"Hey." Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Doing a great impression of a top, Matthew spun around to face-

"L-L-Leila!" Matthew stuttered. "W-What a pleasant surprise!"

Leila merely cocked an eyebrow. "And to what do I owe the dubious honour of you attempting to sneak into my apartment, hm?"

Matthew grinned. "I… was hoping to give you this." Saying so, he pulled out a brightly-wrapped package and passed it over to Leila, who raised an eyebrow as she accepted it.

"Uh, thanks, but what might this be for?"

"Ah, you don't remember?" Matthew chuckled as he pantomimed a man with a broken heart, placing both palms over his chest and seeming to be in a state of great pain. "It's exactly one year to the day we met."

"… You mean at the restaurant?"

"Yup."

"The one were I threw mashed potatoes in your face and called you a steaming turd-ball?"

"That's the one!"

Leila let a slow smile spread across her face as she stashed the present in her bag. "If I recall, I said I'd never ever deign to be in the same room as you ever again for the rest of my life."

"Correct." Matthew smirked. "And just look where we are today.", He said as he drew her closer.

The two kissed, fiercely and passionately, for several long seconds before breaking away.

"I love you." Leila whispered as she gazed deep into his eternally cheerful eyes.

"Love you too." He replied

* * *

"Admit it, Athos." Nergal growled. "Our standards are dropping." 

The bearded man chuckled slightly. "I don't really see how you can say that, Nergal, old friend. The admission standards haven't changed since the university was opened."

Nergal snorted. "Our admission levels may not have dropped, but the standard of the average student has most certainly risen. At the rate we're going, we're going to end up filled with no-talent hacks."

"Ah, you worry too much, Nergal." Athos shook his head. "That always is your greatest vice."

"I have to, because _you_ don't seem to worry at all!" Nergal snapped. "Could you open your eyes to reality once in a while?! Because if not-"

A knock sounded at the door. Nergal broke off his sentence, took a calming breath, and turned to face it. "Come in." He said.

The door swung open and a lavender haired male strolled in. Upon first glance one might notice a faded scar running down his eye, but when he opened his mouth, you quickly stopped listing that scar as his most defining feature.

"Hey, One-eye." Legault grinned as he waved to Nergal. "Hey, Greybeard." He said as way of greeting to Athos. "How's it hanging?"

"I seem to recall requesting you to cease using that vulgar nickname." Nergal growled. Legault, however, appeared totally unfazed.

"Why, yes, I do believe you did." Then, shifting slightly to address the both of them as one body, he pulled out several sheets of paper. "Gentlemen, I'll keep it brief. Here's the list of expenses for this month." With a flick of his finger, he tossed the paper to float straight into Athos' lap, before turning to leave.

"If you keep showing the same tone of disrespect for all our meetings, we'll stop funding you!" Nergal called after Legault.

"Sure, and the moon is made of green cheese." Came the rapidly fading reply. Nergal muttered several choice words under his breath, while Athos merely smiled.

"Let him be." He advised. "It is in his nature, and you're not going to change that."

"Faugh!" Nergal muttered. Then he shook his head and slumped back into his chair. "Alright, then, Athos. I'm open to suggestions. What do you say we do?"

"I say we wait." The old man smiled slightly. "Youths have a way of surprising us, time and time again. I say it'll be no different this time. That's my choice, as one of the joint headmasters of Etruria University, and I stand by it."

* * *

"Hello, darling." Louise said as she kissed Pent on the cheek. "Why the long face?" 

"Oh, you know." He sighed. "I have to give a talk on Anima Theory to a group of scholars. Half of them scoff at the mere mention of it, and the other half couldn't find their way out of a shoebox." With a heavy sigh, he collapsed onto his chair. "Did you cook dinner yet?"

"It's hot, and waiting for our son."

As if on cue, the door swung open, and Erk walked in, staring intently at a book that covered the Advanced Applications of Quantum Physics. Mumbling a hello to both Pent and Louise, he sat down at the table, eyes never wavering from his spot in the book.

Pent cleared his throat. Then louder. Then, sighing, he fished a rubber from his pocket and tossed it at Erk, hitting him on the head and causing the violet-haired youth to jerk up, surprised.

"Erk, it is _customary_ that we do not read at the dinner table. Or had you forgotten?" He asked gently. Erk flushed red and immediately put the book aside as Louise walked in balancing several steaming plates of food in her hands.

Shaking his head, Pent lifted his fork and dug in.

* * *

Erk glanced at the clock. Only eleven. He still had time to get some revision done. Crossing his room, he opened his drawer and pulled out- 

"No." Louise was in the doorway. And she didn't look happy. "You are _not_ going to study. You are going to bed _before_ you burn yourself out and collapse."

Erksmiled slightly as he recalled so many similar instances where his adoptive mother had told him so. "Alright." He mumbled, before clambering into bed.

Louise walked over and shut the drawer, then turned to leave. Before she left the room, she turned back to add, "Goodnight, Erk."

"Goodnight, Aunt Louise." Erk replied. The door shut, Erk's eyes closed, and he drifted off into the land of dreams where the girl from his memories was waiting for him.

_"Hey, Erk!"_ _She called. "Let's play!"_

_And he smiled._

* * *

Alright, I'm trying something different with this story. As far as I know, it's going to be the first multi-chapter songfic in the Fire Emblem section. Not all chapters will have songs, of course. I generally do it if I feel a particular song fits that chapter well. 

Any way, please read and review! Thank you very much.


	2. Chpt 1: Things of Note

Where Dreams Come True

* * *

Aiyiyiyiyi… I have no idea why it took so long for me to update this. It's supposed to be my primary FE work. (Especially after Priscilla's Diary was deleted. Sigh.)

In any case, the new chapter's up! Enjoy, I hope.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Chapter 1: Things of Note

* * *

The social scene was something that Sain was exceedingly familiar with. It was, after all, in his nature, to eat, drink, and be merry. For was that not the purpose for which man were placed on this earth?

And of course, you couldn't forget about the women.

Ah, gorgeous beauties, yet unparalleled anywhere in the vast globe! But one heart would scarce be enough to bide such passion!

Or so Sain thought. And as of yet, he hadn't been with any female of their species long enough to ascertain that fact. Still, he was pretty sure of himself.

A tap on his shoulder jerked him from his favourite pastime, that of daydreaming about (what else? ) beautiful women. Beside him, Kent, best friend and roommate stared at him with a tired expression on his face.

"Sain, don't we have a class to attend?" He questioned. Sain, lying on his bunk, opened one eye and grinned at his red-haired friend.

"C'mon, we've plenty of time!" He chuckled. "Why so worried, Kent?"

"Plenty of time?" Kent shook his head. "It starts in twenty minutes, and it's practically on the other end of campus! You haven't even changed! C'mon, up! Get dressed!"

Sain shook his head and leaped to his feet. "Ah, my boon companion! Were we not placed on this world to enjoy ourselves?" He opined as he threw on a shirt. A cursory sniff proved that the smell wasn't toxic. Yet.

Kent didn't bother to reply, he'd already strode out the door. "Hey, wait!" Sain called. Struggling into a pair of pants, he stumbled out the door after his friend.

* * *

Class was just about to start when Kent and Sain stumbled into the lecture hall, sheepish looks on their faces. The professor gave them an annoyed look, but nothing more as they slid into their seats, next to the rest of their little gang.

Sain put on what he believed to be his most charming smile as he turned to face Lyndis, sitting beside him. "Hark!" He crowed. "Lyn! Your overpowering beauty is as strong today as it ever were! What is the secret behind such elegance, such poise in your form and grace?"

She'd heard it all before, and so proceeded to let it go with a friendly shove to Sain's head. Kent, meanwhile, nodded a polite greeting to Wil and Florina before pulling out his notebook; ready to copy down whatever the professor was talking about.

Just another typical day in Etruria University…

* * *

Nino leaned back in her seat, absentmindedly jotting down whatever Mr. Pent was saying in practically ineligible shorthand. Not that she'd ever read any of it- She had long since been known to possess accelerated learning and mental development capabilities, which was a fancy way of saying she could remember stuff practically word for word after hearing it once.

Which served to explain why she was the youngest person _ever_ to study in Etruria. At the age of fifteen, most would be more inclined to be in high school, gossiping over the latest fashions, and who got whom as a boyfriend. Not her. She had already won two scholarships, and was top of every class she studied.

Beside her, Erk was neatly jotting down everything his adoptive father was saying, neatly and concisely. It never failed to amaze the younger girl how hardworking her best friend on campus was. She'd probably die of boredom if she ever had to study that hard to get good grades.

_But it works for him, I guess._ She giggled slightly to herself. _He actually seems to enjoy it!_

* * *

The session ended, and students streamed out. Erk grabbed his notebook, said goodbye to Uncle Pent, and walked out of the classroom, Nino at his side.

"So, how was the lesson?" She asked him.

"Oh, the usual." Rubbing his head, he leafed through his notes again. Some of this stuff is really high-handed, though. I'd have to reread it again tonight, just to make sure I understand it." He looked up, a slight hint of tired resentment in his eyes. "You're probably going to go home and play Playstation 2 nonstop, _and_ you'll ace the next test, as usual."

"Don't be hatin'" Nino grinned at him, both hands cupped behind her head. Erk held his expression a moment longer before chuckling slightly.

"Getting highest in everything… I'll beat you one day, sister! Just you wait!"

"Ha ha ha…" The two of them laughed as they strolled out of campus. Lessons for them were over for the day. As they passed through the gates of the campus, he accidentally bumped into a girl rushing past, clutching several files in hand.

The girl stumbled, and her papers flew everywhere. Years of good manners having been thoroughly drilled into him, Erk stooped down and scooped up most of the sheets, handing them back to her.

"T-thanks." She stammered. He smiled, nodded in reply, and continued on his way.

Meanwhile, the female stood, absentmindedly tucking a strand of crimson hair behind her ear. With a slightly anxious look etched onto her face, she hurried into the campus.

* * *

They had been doing nothing in particular, just hanging out at a one of their local haunts, when he saw them.

Perfection, in the form of a pair of females, striding along, talking and laughing with each other.

Leaning over to Wil, Sain whispered. "Who are those two?"

Wil shrugged, but Lyn overheard and grinned. "They're Florina's sisters, just came here the other day." Then she smiled a sweet smile, one that every one who knew her as more than a passing acquaintance learnt to fear. "Sain… should you happen to try anything, such as, shall we say, chatting them up, you are in for a world of hurt. Are we agreed on this?"

"Sure, sure- OW! Leggo my ear!" He howled, to the laughter of both Wil and Kent.

Released from Lyn's crushing grip, he mumbled something under his breath and turned to regard the two of them, walking closer to their little group.

* * *

"He aims… he shoots… he scores!"

SWISH!

"Nothin' but net, ladies and gentlemen!" Hector crowed as the basketball bounced back into his arms. A second later, slow, mocking applause sounded from the back of the court.

He didn't turn around. He didn't need to. "Mocking me, Eli? I'd like to see you do better."

"Stop calling me that, Hecteyes." Eliwood replied easily as he relieved the ball from his friend and swished it through the net without pausing to aim. "Keep practicing so much and you'll end up losing what little grey matter you have left."

Hector rolled his eyes and slumped his way onto the bleachers. Eliwood, hands in pockets, approached him again. "You really sure you want to go through with it? I mean, heck, if the bottom falls out, the onus is on you to fix it."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure." Hector mumbled grumpily. "It'll be way better, no matter what else, then listening to my brother bemoan every single thing I do."

" 'Sall for your own good." Eliwood laughed. "Alrighty, then. I'm just popping over to submit the application. Wanna come along?"

"Why not?" The blue-haired youth shrugged. Getting back up to his feet, he set off after his fiery-haired friend.

* * *

"So you're leaving?"

"Yep… the decision was made a long time ago, really."

"Can't say we won't miss you. Take care of yourself, girl."

"Yeah… you too."

* * *

Lyn whistled to herself as she pushed aside the door to the center, mouth stretching into a grin as she noted Eliwood and Hector both there, looking exceedingly bored.

"What?" She smirked. "Sorting through the paperwork proving to be too much of a strain for your simple minds? Ah, what a pity. If you like, I could help you."

"Greatly appreciated, Mrs. Lyn." Eliwood snapped as he tossed a brick of paper into her arms. "Start reading and try figuring out where we went wrong in our calculations. Apparently we owe them more than we originally figured."

Lyn raised an eyebrow. "How much more."

"Three dollars and seventy two cents."

"And you consider that amount worth sifting through mountains of paperwork for?"

"It's the principle of the thing!" Hector replied grumpily as he jammed away at a calculator.

Lyn shook her head at the incorrigible stupidity of it all, and began reading.

* * *

A hand landed on her shoulder. With a tiny gasp of surprise, she whirled around.

The guy standing in front of her ran a hand through his messy green hair. "You look lost." He said in a friendly tone of voice. "Can I help you?"

She stood staring dumbly at him for a few seconds before it clicked in her mind. "Oh! Ah… um… yes…" Blushing for the fool she had apparently made out of herself, she cast her eyes down. "Well, I'm looking for a place to stay, you see…"

"Hm?" He questioned. "Why don't you stay in the dorms? It's subsidized for students." He grinned. "You _are_ a student, aren't you?"

She winced at the bluntness of his question. "Well… no, I mean, not yet…"

He didn't reply, just continued staring at her, waiting for her to continue.

She sighed, and it all came out. "I… I've failed my entrance exams once already. My parents were never very supportive about me studying in Etruria… and I couldn't deal with all the negativity…" _Is that even a word?_ She thought to herself. "So… I… I decided to come out here and find a place to stay while I study for this year's entrance exams. Problem is, the rates at the dorm's too high, and anyway, they're no vacancies." She shrugged. "I really don't have much money, is the problem."

Story over, she shrugged her bag further up her shoulder and turned to leave.

"Wait a tick." The guy called to her. "I have a room… if you're really looking for a place to stay."

She glanced at him tiredly. "I don't have money, all right? I just told you."

He laughed. "No prob. You just provide your own food and stuff like that, and you can stay there free. Just don't mess up the whole apartment, and we have a deal."

She stared at him for a few more seconds, dumbstruck. "Why?" She finally managed to blurt out.

"Ah, it gets lonely having an apartment all to yourself… You can stay there until you find a dorm or lodge or something that has suitable rates." He shrugged. "Whaddya say?"

She stood there for a few minutes, considering her options. On one hand, this _was_ a stranger who was offering her a room, and it sounded suspicious.

But on the other, she _needed_ somewhere to stay, unless she wanted to return home and admit defeat. And given the nature of her adoptive parents, it'd mean never being able to enter Etruria…

She glanced at the gleaming white tower of the main building, it's windows glinting in the evening sun. Then she turned to him. "Deal."

"That's good, then." He laughed again. He seemed to like doing that a lot. "My name's Heath, by the way. What's yours?"

She smiled. "My name's Priscilla. Nice to meet you, Heath."

He grinned and started walking. "Allow me to lead the way to my humble abode, fair maiden."

* * *

Erk sighed with frustration. He just couldn't get it.

"What's wrong with me?" He mumbled as he stared at his notes in front of him. "I can't concentrate at all."

And he had had a bad headache since he got back from school too. But stopping wasn't an option. He _had_ to make sure he knew all the material before tomorrow.

"C'mon, focus." He murmured. "Focus… focus… focus…"

* * *

Louise sighed. "So when are you leaving?"

Pent scratched the back of his head. "Best estimates rate about sometime next week. I'll be away for the rest of the term. You know how these conferences are."

Louise chuckled slightly. "Well, considering this trimester has all of two weeks left to run…"

"Mm." Pent nodded his agreement. "And then it's a long, long break of two months." Leaning back in his chair, he continued. "During which eighty percent of the students will return having completely forgot anything and everything they learnt last year."

His wife laughed. "Not Nino. And definitely not Erk."

"Yes… about Erk…" Pent sighed heavily. "I'm starting to worry about him. He's eighteen, Louise. It's just not healthy for him to have his nose buried in a book twenty-four seven."

"Living in a house with a Professor can't be helping matters." Louise replied sagely.

"Exactly. And that's why I've been considering-"

_Thud._

Pent frowned. "Did you hear that?"

"It came from upstairs." Louise said worriedly.

Hurrying upstairs, his attention was drawn to the open doorway of Erk's room, and more importantly, of his adoptive son's unconscious form on the floor.

"Erk!"

* * *

Ended chapter on a slightly tense note… but, aw heck. If all goes well, my next update should take less time than this one. (Thank goodness.)

Please Read and Review.


	3. Chpt 2: Parting

Where Dreams Come True

* * *

Hm… next chapter up, and a name that might seem familiar to some…

Disclaimer: I own nothing

* * *

Chapter 2: Parting

* * *

_"Promise, Erk! You have to promise!" _

_He laughed. "I already did! I'll meet you in Etruria one day."_

_She laughed too, blushing red. "I know… I just… I just wanna make sure."_

_"We linked pinkies, didn't we? I can't go back on that!"_

_"Yeah…" She smiled slightly. "Hey! My mommy gave me a really neat toy yesterday! Wanna go see?"_

_"Sure! Race you!" And they were off, running through the golden fields, stumbling shrieking with laughter._

_"Erk…"_

_"Huh?"_ _He called after her. "What is it?"_

_"Erk!"_

_"I heard you the first time! What's wrong?"_

**"ERK!"**

He jerked upright, a cough racking him body. Ow, ow. Bad headache.

As slumped back onto the bed, he noticed Louise staring down worriedly at him. "Aunt… Louise?" He managed to croak out in a hoarse voice.

She ducked her head in a sigh of relief, mingled with exasperation. Forsaking words, she merely leaned over and drew her foster son into a long hug, which he returned, slightly confused. Where was he?

As his eyes took in the bare white surroundings, the sparse furniture, and the complicated devices around his bed, it finally dawned on him. A hospital.

"What happened?" He queried.

"Overwork." Pent, who had just appeared at the doorway to his ward, answered. "You've been studying far too much for too long, son."

Erk winced slightly at those words. Had he really done that? He had merely wished to ensure he knew the syllabus well enough…

Pent wasn't finished yet, however. "The doctor said he'd never seen a student like this before. You collapsed from the sheer stress of trying to do too much on your own." Massaging his temples, Pent slumped onto a nearby chair. "I've told you a hundred times, Erk. Do you listen? No. Stop pushing yourself so hard. You're top of all classes that Nino isn't in, otherwise you're second." He paused for breath, and shook his head. "Most parents nag their kids to study _more_."

Erk dipped his head slightly. "I- I'm sor-"

"Don't bother." Pent cut him off. "What's done is done and as long as you don't do it again, well, let bygones be bygones, son." He turned towards the door. "The doctor estimates you can be discharged tomorrow. Rest up, son. We're going dorm hunting."

As he walked out of the ward, Erk was left to sputter at the last sentence Pent had just said. "W-whuh?" He managed.

* * *

"I have to leave in two days anyway, and Louise is coming with me." Pent explained patiently as he cruised down the road. "We've managed to find several suitable places close to the university."

"But why?" Erk, in the backseat, questioned. "I'll be fine on my own! I'm eighteen years old! You don't think I'm responsible enough?"

"No. Just the opposite actually." Pent replied. "We're afraid that if we leave you at home on your own you'll shoot the lighting bills into the stratosphere and collapse. _Again._" Erk slumped over.

"I still think it's not fair." He mumbled to himself.

Louise sighed. "Well, there _is_ another reason, actually."

Erk blinked and glanced up as Louise, in the front seat, leaned over to face him. "Erk, you're a kind, intelligent, obedient child, and no parents, foster or not, could ask for better. However…" She sighed. "You being in the house all day is doing hell for our sex life."

Erk said nothing, just stared at his surrogate mother with narrowed eyes. Louise held his gaze for a second longer, then turned over to her husband. "I tried." She shrugged and smirked slightly.

* * *

"Well, I must say your Lodge is rather cheap for it's size." Pent commented as he looked around the main hall.

"We get subsidized by the school, Master Pent. You should know, shouldn't you?"

"Yes, it was brought up a couple of times… mister… er…"

"Tsk!" The lilac-haired man grinned. "Forgot me so soon? Name's Legault. Try to remember, huh?"

"Right, right. Legault. Forgive me, but your most striking characteristic is your, shall we say, disreputable reputation."

"Ah, a man of words!" Legault chuckled. "Careful, though. Words, as any scholar knows, are very rascals. But that's all one in the end."

"Much as it is enjoyable to hear you quote Shakespeare, I believe we still need to find out more about the Lodge itself…"

"Right, right." Legault beckoned Pent, and the two of them strolled around the spacious halls, looking at the architecture and ambience.

"By the way, where's the guy who's supposed to be staying here in the first place? Is he huffy about having to leave you?"

"Not really. He's a bit moody at the shift in location, though. He's at home resting." Completing the tour, he turned to Legault. "Well, I must say that this is a rather fine lodge, and at good cost, too. It'll make a good place to stay."

Legault shrugged. "Should be, for your son, in any case. So, you choosing my little shed?"

Pent smiled. "I believe I can trust you. You're just… eccentric, is all."

"I try." He replied casually. Then, he paused and snapped his fingers. "Oh, by the way, there's just one little detail your son might feel uncomfortable with…

* * *

"WHAT did you just say?" Erk bellowed. "You registered me for a _girl's_ dormitory? Are you _insane_, Uncle Pent?"

"Calm down, Erk." Pent reassured his son. "It's not really like that. It's unisexual. It just so happens that only girls have been living in there since it opened."

"Is that supposed to somehow make me feel better?" Erk questioned wearily. Pent gave a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his head.

Erk sighed, and walked over to the door. "I'll be going to grab a few personal items." He called back over his shoulder, before vanishing into his room.

* * *

"Well, here we are."

"Well, there we were."

"Hrmph." Erk muttered as he stared at the vast building in front of him. The main door yawned into what appeared to be a living room, and over the main entrance was a wooden sign nailed to the wall.

Crude lettering spelled out 'Welcome to Todai Lodge.'

"Not exactly the most prosperous looking establishment." Erk commented.

"Looks better on the inside, trust me. Kinda like a cheese and bacon roll." Legault grinned as he strode out from the door. "I take it you're our new tenant? Name's Legault. I'm the manager. Pleased to meet you. I think."

Erk sighed. "I guess."

Pent looked up from fiddling with the car booth. "Are you prepared for this, Erk?"

Erk sighed. "Two days ago, I was perfectly content to go home, knowing I would meet Aunt Louise with a delicious, steaming dinner. I would then proceed to retire to my room to study. And now I will be left in here for an absolute minimum of two weeks, with a bunch of females I have never met before. Am I prepared for this? Hell no."

"Nice to see we're being optimistic over this…" Pent grumped.

Erk sighed. "Don't you think this is a little oh, I dunno, _rushed_?"

Legault's grin widened. "Rush is good. Forces you to make decisions with your gut instead of that overestimated muscle we call a brain." To Erk's worried and anxious look, he relaxed into a welcoming pose.

"Kid, lemme tell you something I tell all the other tenants who come here. Ready? Listen. The best days of your life will be spent here. No joke. Doesn't matter how long you stay. You'll find what you were always looking for right here in this place."

_I'll just bet._ Erk thought silently. _Unless you can conjure up a memory into reality…_

"Ah, we have a doubter!" Legault noted from the look on Erk's face. "Trust me, kid. I dunno if it's magic, karma, being located in a cross-current of spirit energy, or whatever, but it's true. _This_, dear boy…" He turned with a sweeping gesture, indicating the whole of the property. "This is the place where dreams come true."

* * *

Short chapter, but the next one should be longer, I promise.

Fairly Erk-centric in this one, but then again, he _is_ the main character.

Please review!


	4. Chpt 3: Transition

Where Dreams Come True

* * *

Plot has been somewhat edited for inclusion of FE8 characters. That (partly) explains why I took so long, aside from the fact that I just lost all drive for this a while ago due to a writer's block.

That aside, if you've been here before, welcome back. To any newcomers, nice to meet you.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Fire Emblem: Rekka No Ken and Fire Emblem: Seima No Kouseki characters all belong to Intelligent Systems and Nintendo.

Oh, yeah. Since new ruling against songfics, my idea of making this a multi-chapter songfic will have to be scrapped.

And Mr. No Name, are you, by any chance, familiar with the concept of an Alternate Universe?

* * *

"Um… Legault?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is there a hole in my ceiling? And a rather large one at that, while we're at it?"

"Oh, that. Last tenant here used to practice _wushu_ in here. Got pretty good at it too, but apparently she screwed up some fancy swordplay move. Don't sweat it, I'll replace it. One of these days."

"Oh…" Erk scratched his head for a minute. "Um… where are the others?"

"Oh, they're not in right now. Should be back pretty soon though." Legault glanced out the window. "Speak of the devil. Two of them are on their way here. Let's go say hi."

* * *

"So… heard we're getting a new tenant today?"

"Yup. It's a guy, too. Legault's been pretty quiet about it, though."

"Hmm… wonder if he's cute?"

She looked at her lodgemate in mock disgust. "Is that all your head is filled with, Rebecca? Boys?"

"Let's just say one gets bored with nothing but girls all around. Nothing to discuss, really. Except cute guys."

"Heh." As the two of them ascended the last of the steps leading to the lodge, Legault was there, swinging open the main door.

"Evenin', ladies, and say hello to our newest houseguest. Erk, that older one over there is Rebecca. She's from Pherae in Lycia, and that lass over there's Amelia from Grado, across the sea. You all know to make him feel at home, I assume."

Erk gave a polite smile and offered his hand to them, along with greetings. Rebecca smirked. _He's kinda cute… in a bookish nerd sort of way._

Amelia offered him a kind smile. "So, where are you from?"

He'd only opened his mouth to answer when the sound of more voices floated from the entrance.

"Where's today's lecture notes on Chem? You told me you'd get an extra set for me, didn't you?"

"Yeah, yeah. Y'know, Serra, if you want to cut classes to go window shopping, you should be prepared for some consequences."

"But this way works fine! I can enjoy myself, and still keep up on the lessons! I study best at night anyway, you know that."

"Of course, and the real world's going to bend over backwards to accommodate you studying persona." The two speakers stepped through the doorway, kicking off their shoes as they did so. The latter speaker seemed about to continue talking when her eyes caught sight of the newcomer and widened.

"Erk?"

"Nino?"

* * *

"You know, you really should have called me a couple days earlier, Heath." Legault spoke into the phone as he slumped down on his beanbag chair, watching some crap TV show he had yet to figure out the name of. "Just filled up our vacancy with a new kid."

Pause.

"Yeah, what can I say? This lodge's a hot spot for Etruria students. He's just heaving his luggage to his room. Uh-huh. Yes, he's _that_ new. Sorry, but that roommate of yours is going to have to find another room soon. And yes, I do look forward to him adjusting to life in a dorm filled with nothing but girls."

Pause.

"No, that does _not_ include me, you long-haired hippie. Go soak your head. Uh-huh. Yeah, yeah. If any of the lodgers wanna move out, you'll be the first to know. Yup. Take care. Bye."

Legault clicked the phone off, sighed and tossed it to the side. He felt hungry. A snack would be good.

Before he could get up, however, a scream resounded through the halls.

* * *

Todai Lodge had an open air sauna bath located near it's back. While naturally occuring conditions would never have allowed such a phenomenon to take place in a continent like Elibe, Legault had bypassed the issue by installing several gargantuan heaters cum water storage tanks under the residence. Of course, Nergal had screamed bloody murder when handed the expense sheet, but Legault had insisted such relaxing environments were conducive towards students for relaxation and unwinding after a hard day's studying.

Of course, he had said a lot less about the fact that he'd be using the hot spring as well.

Naturally, in a dormitory which had hitherto been the solitary residence of females, no one had really bothered with clearly differentiating between the male and female hot spring baths. Legault had fenced off a tiny portion of the hot spring that was to be utilized by him alone, but in the excitement of welcoming Erk, he had forgotten to tell Erk about this.

Or at the very least, that is what he claimed, and since in general Legault is a man of his word, we must hold what he said to be true.

Regardless, the effects of this slipup became clear very quickly.

* * *

The distinctly feminine screams (most of which could be translated into garbled synonyms of the word 'pervert') were still sounding when Amelia reached the changing room connector to the hot spring and yanked it open.

Inside, she was confronted with the sight of Erk, a towel wrapped around the lower half of his body, trying frantically to shush a girl with light pink hair who likewise had a towel wrapped around herself and was pointing at him.

A quick glance around and Amelia had already processed the generalities of the issue. Before she could do anything, however, there came an annoyed grunt from behind her. Legault showed up, a decidedly sour expression on his face.

"What's going – Oh. Hi, Neimi. Guess I forgot to introduce you to the new tenant. Um, Erk, Neimi. Neimi, Erk."

"Charmed." The purple-haired youth said sourly.

"Uh, Amelia. Could you please bring Neimi somewhere and try to quiet her down?"

She nodded in affirmation before hurrying to get the job done.

* * *

Once the two of them were alone, Legault heaved a sigh. "I'm really going to have to get used to dealing with another guy in the Lodge."

"Sorry if I'm providing competition." Erk shot back. "Why on earth didn't you just partition to hot spring _earlier_? Isn't this supposed to be unisexual?"

"Yeah, but I never got around to it. Was never needed after all." Legault sighed and scratched his head. "Well, I'll make sure you don't get disturbed for one bath today, at least. Go ahead. Elsewhile, I really need to go call some contractors."

* * *

"Behold!" Hector exclaimed as he spread his arms out to gesture at the edifice before them. "It's all ours!"

Lyn smiled. "Mm. And just look at that. Nothing a wrecking ball couldn't fix."

"Stop being so negative!" Hector countered testily. "The point is that we paid for it fair and square and it's now ours. We can move in right away!"

Eliwood shook his head. "We're about to move in, and I still can't believe Uther let you go through with this."

"My brother had nothing to do with the decision."

"Of course."

Lyn, meanwhile, had already hefted the first of a seriously large amount of knapsacks onto her back. With slow, measured steps, she begun walking towards the building.

* * *

"Well, that's that." Heath gave an apologetic smile to Priscilla. "None of the lodges I called have been able to find room for you."

"Oh." She paused. Then a soft sigh escaped her lips. "I… I'm burdening you, aren't I?"

Heath raised an eyebrow. "And you arrived at this completely unsubstantiated conclusion how? I was the one who invited you in, remember?" As he finished, he took a long drink from the coke in his hand. "You've been the perfect roommate: Tidy, courteous, sociable-"

"Perfect – except I'm draining your money."

"Don't worry about it. I've got cash to spare."

"That's not the issue! It's just… it's the principle of the thing."

Heath was silent for a moment, swirling the drink around his can for a minute. Then he shrugged and smiled. "In you feel so determined to be square with everyone, then take a rain check. I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunities for you to play me back."

Priscilla sighed and shook her head. "Good enough, I suppose."

* * *

The lights were still on when Franz pushed open the door to his dorm room. Ewan glanced up from the book he was reading at his desk and smiled. "What took you so long?"

"The prof wanted to discuss several of the points in my thesis." Franz shrugged. "And should you be up so late? Remember, the doctor advised you to get more rest."

"I'll be fine. So… what'd Seth have to say about your little article?"

"He thinks the basic premise is sound – I just need to be able to flesh out my arguments better." Franz smiled shyly. "He said if I could do that, I'm well on my way to an 'A' for this trimester."

"Better hurry it up, bucko." Ewan said as he turned back to his book. "You've got all of two weeks left to earn it."

"Yeah, yeah…"

* * *

The first rays of morning were fighting the battle to shine through the early morning mist that encased the area around Todai Lodge.

The occupants of the lodge were all in slumber. And well they should be, for another day awaited them, one that would tax their patience and endurance.

What was it, you ask? Well, for that, one has to look to the _owner_ of the lodge…

The predawn silence was shattered by a howl of triumph emanating from the lilac-haired male as he burst back into the Lodge.

"IT'S OUT! KINGDOM HEARTS TWO IS HERE AT LONG LAST! LET ASS-KICKING WITH A KEYBLADE COMMENCE!" This sentence was thereafter followed by several loud sounds that bore resemblance to war-whoops.

Erk rolled over slightly, rubbing bleary eyes as he reached for his glasses. Once affized in a position that allowed him to see through them, he glanced at the alarm clock by his bedside.

"Seven… thirty… the crap?"

Stumbling out of bed, he threw on slightly more presentable wear and headed towards the common room, where the opening strains of someone stretching the word 'Sanctuary' _way_ too much was being played.

Shoving open the sliding door, he glared sleepily at Legault. "As happy as I am for you that you'reexcitedover your latest purchase, _some_ of us need to sleep, y'know?"

Legault merely shrugged. "There's earplugs in the drawer behind me."

Erk stared stupidly at Legault before closing the door and going back to his room. Chief in his mind was the singular thought: _I hate this place._

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review. 


	5. Chpt 4: Fitting In

Where Dreams Come True

(X)

I own nothing.

(X)

"You look troubled."

Priscilla managed a tired smile as she rubbed her eyes. "Yeah. I've been trying to tackle these exercises ever since I got back from school."

"And?"

"Can't make head or tails of it."

Heath gave her a sympathetic nod. "The exams are in half a year's time, right?"

"Come November." She replied distractedly. "I just don't understand how you're supposed to get this equation from this one…"

Heath's rubbed his chin for a moment, before he pointed down to paper. "See here? The _X_ is to the power of negative half. You can convert it to 1 over the square root of _X_, and then you can use that to solve this half of the simultaneous equation."

Priscilla's eyes narrowed, then widened. "I've got it! Thanks!" Thus saying she began hurriedly scribbling on the paper, filling it.

Heath let out a tiny chuckle. "Glad to be of help." He said over his shoulder as he walked out of her room.

(X)

"Eliwood."

The red-haired youth who had been dozing in the sun just a moment earlier cracked open his eye and gazed up at a familiar face.

"Ephraim? What is it?" Eliwood yawned as he sat up and turned to face his cousin. "Why are you here?"

"I merely believe that in light of upcoming events, it would be prudent for me to come inform you of them." Ephraim handed a slip of paper to Eliwood, who proceeded to read it with a raised eyebrow.

"Aureus Experentia?"

"My sister is, as you know, a violinist in this little concert band. They're hosting a performance in the amphitheatre a week from now." Ephraim shook his head. "I believe you attending would be a good idea. Don't you?"

Eliwood sighed. "You _know_ classical music puts me to sleep, Ephraim."

"Yes, of course I do. However!" Ephraim leaned closer. "If I recall, the last time the two of you met, you parted ways on rather… frigid terms. Attending this concert might help thaw the relationship, no? You _are_ cousins, after all."

Eliwood sighed and gazed down at the admission ticket, which detailed the time and location of the concert.

"And if you want my advice, applaud after her solo." Ephraim called over his shoulder as he walked away.

(X)

Legault thumbed the remote, channel surfing with only one eye on the screen. Out of the corner of his eye, he was glancing at the clock mounted on the wall with increasing regularity.

Erk walked in, face buried in a book, as usual, and he glanced up in time to see Legault look at the clock again. "What's up, your girlfriend arriving soon or something?"

It had been just about a week since Erk had spent his first night in Todai Lodge, and he was fast getting accustomed to the rather offbeat nature of the lodge and it's inhabitants. Aside from the rough spot with Neimi (which had been quickly smoothed over), he was quickly fitting in with the residents.

Still no close friends, however, aside from Nino. A combination of his quiet, bookish nature and the fact that a fair amount of girl talk excluded guys almost by default, he wasn't privy to most of their expeditions or outings or work. Fine by him, though. He usually had work to do.

Legault rolled his eyes at Erk's question. "No, I'm expecting someone. She left to visit home about two weeks, ago, she should be back soon."

Before Erk could open his mouth to reply, he heard a soft, lyrical voice floating in from the entrance. _"_A_miko, Legault. Yantra sorafune."_

Legault grinned. _"Amiko, Ninian. Yandiri perkanan. Daiko sorucha?"_

Through the doorway stepped a graceful, delicate female, slightly older-looking than Erk. Tall and willowy, she moved with a light grace. _"Tanko icha."_ She smiled in reply.

Legault nodded in satisfaction. Then, gesturing towards Erk, he spoke again. _"Dai chou Erk."_

Ninian bowed slightly, and offered him her hand. _"Amiko, Erk."_

"She said hello." Legault translated.

"A-amiko, ni… ni…"

"_Ninian."_ She spoke softly.

"She's a transfer from a continent a long way off." Legault cut in. "She doesn't speak a word of English, but I'm sure you'll manage."

Before Erk could say another word, a younger voice called from the steps outside the entrance. _"Ninian! Doy yam immi shichuka!"_

Ninian half-turned towards the door, a sigh and a weary smile on her face. _"Trie yat shimu isitani, Nils."_

A young boy, his green hair a slightly lighter colour than Ninian, stepped into view, smiling brightly. _"Amiko!"_ He said cheerfully.

Legault raised an eyebrow. _"Ninian, sindou yat himaeraiyu agat Nils?"_

Ninian smiled sheepishly. _"Naga ein Sara yat Nils agat hin, mashiteryu chun sam fong."_

Legault shook his head. _"Nandatayou! Einchu Naga ein Sara bachuti!"_ He gestured towards Erk. _"Tara mashiteryu, andratio!"_

Ninian glanced towards Erk and bit her lip. _"Na – namakandyou? Tandaro… amkan?"_

Legault scratched his head a moment before turning to Erk. "Say…you mind making a deal for a lower rent?"

"And that would be?"

(X)

"Okay, _your_ bags go over there, Nils." Erk pointed to a relatively uncluttered corner of the room.

The young boy nodded and began dragging a bulky knapsack of his belongings over.

From the doorway, Legault stood with folded arms. "Sorry about this, Erk. It'll just be for a couple of weeks, until Nils finds accommodation."

"Mm." Erk settled for a nod and continued shifting some of his stuff out of the way. A few minutes later, he felt a soft tap on his shoulder.

Nils was staring at him, a smile on his face. As Erk raised an eyebrow, the young boy placed his palms together in front of him and bowed. "Thank you." He said in an accented voice.

"You know English?" Erk asked, somewhat surprised.

"I learn." Nils grinned. "I speak… gooder than sister."

"Oh." Erk smiled in return. "Well, good for you. Make yourself at home."

"Make… home? This not home."

"Oh, uh…" Erk scratched his head. "Nevermind."

Just then Legault cleared his throat. "By the way, Erk. You're making dinner tonight."

"…What?"

(X)

As soon as Franz stepped through the door, he heard a disgruntled snort. "You're late."

Franz nodded. "Sorry. The taxi I booked didn't show up."

Kyle shook his head. "I'll let it go this once. Just get to the cash register. Lucky for you it's summer. Slow days all around."

Franz let out a chuckle as he shrugged off his jacket. "How many sales did you make before I got here?"

"Couple of kids. Got Cars and one of them asked what Kingdom Hearts was all about." Kyle shrugged. "Legault dropped by too to confirm his pre-order for Castlevania and Final Fantasy III."

"Got it." Franz settled behind the counter. "Records entered?"

"Done. Have fun with work." Kyle said as he walked off into the backroom.

(X)

This is Franz. Quiet, honest, hardworking and respectable.

Currently employed as a sales representative (AKA cashier) of an independent videogame store, he's currently playing a video game in order to stave off the long hours of boredom that comes with running aforementioned videogame store in the middle of summer. It's not the most prosperous establishment, but it makes enough for it to keep going, and to net the employees a decent paycheck each month.

Franz barely registered the _ding!_ sound that signaled a new customer walking in through the main door. He _did_ glance up, noting it was young kid who looked about ten years of age.

The boy made straight for the counter, and twisting his head, he tried to look at the game that Franz was playing. "What's that?"

"Hm? Oh, it's called 'Shadow of the Colossus.'" Franz replied distractedly.

"What do you do in it?" Franz decided the kid was probably looking for a game suggestion. Oh well.

"Well, see, right now I'm battling this giant enemy lizard. You have to go through a rather complicated process that involves flipping it onto its back. And then you can run up and stab its weak point for massive damage."

Franz paused the game and frowned slightly as if he were thinking.

Then he shook his head. "Nah. It's not funny anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

(X)

"_What do you mean I'm cooking dinner?"_

"_What? How on earth do you think I keep such low rates? We all pull in our fair share of the work around this place."_

"_You should have told me this earlier! I've got studying to do!"_

"_You spend too much time with your books, anyways." Legault smirked. "Don't tell me you're going to let those poor girls go to bed hungry tonight?"_

"_We both know they have more than enough money to buy a takeout or something!"_

"_We 'know'. Tsk. I would have expected a college student to be a bit more precise in his language. You may say you 'expect'. You may say you 'believe'. But 'know'? Come, come, are you privy to the financial situation of those fine lad-"_

"_Argh, FINE! I'll cook, if only to shut you up!"_

Legault whistled a jaunty tune to himself as he strolled up the steps to the lodge. Behind him, Amelia and Neimi were busy welcoming Ninian back.

"Erk's on dinner duty today?" Rebecca asked with raised eyebrows.

"According to Uncle Legault, yup." Nino replied breezily. "Just… don't expect too much."

"Why? How bad could it-" Rebecca was cut off as the girls entered the dining room – to be greeted by the sight of 9 packets of cup noodles, steam wafting gently from their opened tops. At the far end of the room was Erk, another cup noodle packet clutched in his hand, and a textbook under his arm.

"Enjoy." He called back as he vanished up the stairs into his room.

"Clever little sneak." Legault mumbled. Then, in a louder voice. "I call dibs on the curry chicken."

(X)

Thanks for reading, please review.


	6. Chpt 5: Day Out

Where Dreams Come True

* * *

Chapter 5: Day Out

* * *

Disclaimer: Own nothing, I do.

* * *

Erk rolled over sleepily, rubbing his eyes. Fumbling slightly, he quickly located his glasses and slid them onto his face.

Right. No classes today for him. He might as well get in some extra studying done on Anima theory.

Standing, he walked over to his desk, flicking on the room lights as he did so. A quick half-hour study period, and then he would go get breakfast.

He chose to ignore the tiny voice in the back of his head reminding him that these 'half-hour' sessions had a tendency to blossom into four hour endurance trials, and he'd probably miss breakfast completely.

Oh, well. Reaching over, Erk slid open the drawer, reaching in to pull out his notes, and discovering to his utter consternation that the drawer was empty.

Glancing up, he did a quick runthrough over the room with his eyes. Nope, his notes didn't seem to be anywhere in the vicinity. And he probably couldn't get into a more thorough search without waking up the slumbering Nils.

Just then, the door opened softly and Legault's head appeared in the doorway. "Ah, good, you're up. Could you step out here for a minute?"

With a helpless shrug, Erk complied.

The instant they were both in the hallway, Legault slid the door shut and turned to Erk. "You've probably noticed your study materials have vanished. I stole them."

"Wha-!"

"No,no, shut up and listen first. Your Uncle Pent didn't just dropkick you out the car door and leave you here. He hoped a change in environment would help alleviate your apparent obsession with studying-"

"I am _not_ obsessed!"

"Will you hear me _out_? Anyway, he authorized me to take what measures necessary to ensure you don't go overboard if the change in environment proved insufficient. It has. And today, I'm putting that authority into effect."

Erk glowered at Legault, who cheerfully carried on. "And as part two of my grand master plan comes into effect, we're dragging you off to the mall to spend the day slacking off and doing nothing in particular."

"You can't make me do this, Legault." Erk growled.

Legault shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid the Almighty commands it."

"What?"

"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, not your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." Legault rattled off the Commandment from memory.

"…It's not Sunday. Or if we're going to be technical, it's not Saturday either."

"Yes, but you're _way_ overdue." Legault gave a disarming smile. "Besides, you wouldn't want to let the rest of the girls down, would you?"

"We're ready, uncle Legault!" Came Nino's voice as she rounded the corner, dressed in street wear.

"You too?"

"Are you kidding? There's no way we're missing out on a day trip where Uncle Legault pays all the expenses!" Nino grinned.

The purple-haired youth shook his head. "I feel betrayed." He mumbled.

"Come on, then!" Legault said brightly. "To the truck! By the way, do you want air conditioning or not?"

"Um, yes, of course I do."

"Then sit in the back and enjoy the wind. The air conditioner's broken."

Erk forced himself to suppress a groan.

* * *

Fiora glanced up as she heard the knock on the door of her dorm room. "Come in." She called.

The door creaked open, and a smile blossomed on Fiora's face as she saw her younger sister step into the room. "Florina!"

"Hi, sis," Florina smiled shyly. "It's been so hectic lately this is the first time in a month that I'll be free for the day. I decided to come over to see how you were doing."

"Well, orientation was a complete mess, but luckily things have calmed down some." Fiora chuckled. "I think I see why you recommended this university so strongly."

"Mmhm. It's great, isn't it?" Florina then glanced around the tiny quarters. "Where's Farina?"

"Oh, she left earlier. You know her. She doesn't like cramped spaces."

* * *

"I need a game that is suitable for a nerdy workaholic that doesn't play games. And if you say Brain Training or any variants of said game, I reserve the right to bop you on the head with a strategy guide."

Franz shook his head as he turned back to the shelves, rearranging the positions of the games. "Would 'Mario' do?"

"Hmm… maybe something of a more lasting fare."

"Right. I'd suggest 'Pokemon', except we all know it isn't out yet-"

"Path of Radiance?"

"You don't even own a 'Cube, Legault."

"I'd buy one if the Wii weren't coming out so soon. By the way, any luck on PS3 preorders?"

"I'd be lucky to get a single 'tard pack. You know independent stores always get shafted."

"I'm no sure of the accuracy of calling 'em "'tard" packs when HDMI is now standard-

"Force of habit, sorry. And wasn't the discussion about buying a game for your grumpy friend over there? Just get him some Playstation 2 RPG. Final Fantasy X or something. Easy to get into, long lasting…"

"Excuse me, sir. Some service, please?"

"Sorry, gotta go." Franz gave Legault an apologetic look before dashing back to the counter.

"Yes, I'm looking to buy a game for my son." The middle-aged woman declared as she held up a box. "Could you tell me if this is for the Playcube or the Gamestation?"

"Uh, neither, ma'am. That's for the Game Boy Advance."

* * *

Erk glanced down at the plastic bag swinging in Legault's arm as the two of them walked through the mall. "So that's the game you want me to play?"

"Indeed."

"And you're not going to tell me what it's called."

"It's not going to mean anything to you anyway. You've never even owned a single gaming device."

"And yet you're going to force me to play a game you picked out for me."

"Right. I'd have waited a couple months for the new console – one that's apparently aimed at you filthy nongamers – but drastic measures are necessary for the time being."

Erk groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Why me?" He mumbled under his breath.

* * *

"Hey, Neimi. Isn't the Colm over there?"

Neimi glanced over, her eyes widening as she caught sight of Colm in the vicinity, strolling casually through the food court.

"Doesn't he have a part-time job?" She wondered aloud. "Why isn't he working?"

"Break, maybe?" Rebecca shrugged as she took a drink from her cup. "Maybe he just wants some lunch."

"Yeah, but his job's supposed to be at the other end of town."

The two of them watched curiously as Colm glanced furtively around him, before turning and walking away from the food court, hands tucked deep into his pockets.

"Weird." Neimi mumbled to herself as she returned to her meal. "Maybe I can ask him about it later…"

* * *

Nino flipped through the thick tome before replacing it on the shelf. "Why is it so hard to get good medical texts?" She mumbled.

From the bookshelf beside her, Serra shrugged. "Maybe because you've already bought and read all the good ones?"

"Heh, yeah, maybe." Nino chuckled. However, as she reached over to pull another book that caught her eye, she heard a tiny squeal of disgust coming from Serra. Glancing over, she saw her pink-haired friend brushing frantically at her dress.

"Spiders!" The abruptly, her tone changed from frightened to incensed. "Who runs this lousy store anyway? I'm going to give that person a piece of my mind!"

"Um, Serra, that was a piece of lint – Serra? Serra!" Nino sighed, reshelved the book, and hurried after her friend.

* * *

"Franz?"

At the sound of his name, he glanced up, his face breaking into a smile as he caught sight of his friend entering the store.

"Amelia! So you came with Legault? How's things?"

"Fine, if a little stressful at work." Amelia let out a tired sigh. "How's your thesis coming along?"

"Almost done." Franz smiled. "A couple of edits to my conclusion, and I can turn it in to the professor."

"Hmph." Amelia playfully stuck out her tongue at him. "Any chance you could help me out with mine? I could use a few words of advice."

"Sure." Franz shrugged. "Saturday good for you? I'll come after lunch."

"Great. It's a date."

"Franz?" Kyle's voice came from the backroom. "I'm not opposed to you developing your social life, but could you not do it on company time? Don't you have to label all those budget titles?"

Amelia gave a wry smile as she cocked her head to the side. "And hello to you too, Kyle!" She called gaily.

"Darn kids need to get off my lawn." Kyle shot back.

A short chuckle, and Amelia turned towards the exit. "See you later, Franz."

"Yeah…" He said softly, trying not to focus on the way her golden hair swished around her neck, glowing almost pure white as they caught the rays of the sun. "Later."

* * *

"Everyone ready?" Legault said as he surveyed the rest of his troupe. "Alright, let's get on the truck. Time to head home."

"Why couldn't we just find our own ways back later?" Rebecca queried.

"Because you're doing it on my time and money. Now forward, march!"

"That's funny. I didn't know Matthew worked at the bookstore." Serra commented as she boarded Legault's vehicle.

"I don't think he was very happy to see you." Nino observed. "At least, not after you started yelling at him about the nonexistent spiders."

"Hey, are those cheese crackers? Hand me one, would ya?"

"Ninian and Nils should still be at the Lodge waiting for us."

"She really should hang out more. She's difficult to talk to, you knoe?"

"Hey, Erk!" Rebecca said brightly. "What's that you've got there."

"A game Legault picked out for me." Erk said in a bored voice. "He's going to force me to play it when we get back to the Lodge."

* * *

"Talk about your awkward silences…" Erk mumbled to himself as he opened the door to his room.

* * *

Thanks for reading.

Please review.


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